


Vulnerable

by justanoutlaw



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:20:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24669775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: Emma and Elsa open their hearts to love.
Relationships: Anna & Elsa (Once Upon a Time), Elsa/Emma Swan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	Vulnerable

**Author's Note:**

> Loboselinaistrash prompted: Emma convinces Elsa not to go back to Arendelle, finally admitting her true feelings. Elsa has to choose between duty and true love.
> 
> Based this off of Frozen 2 a little bit.

Ingrid is gone and Emma is the only person that can understand why that hurts. Anna can too, but she didn’t connect with Ingrid like Emma and Elsa did. They had a bond that no one could deny.

Which is why Anna and Kristoff went back to the loft and Emma booked a room for them at Granny’s. Elsa sits at the edge of the bed, her blue evening gown draped over a desk chair. She’s in an oversized grey New York t-shirt she borrowed from Emma, not that she knows what New York is. Emma just smiles every time she asks. Elsa’s undone her braid and shook it out so her near white hair falls messily by her chest.

Emma emerges from the powder room-no bathroom as it’s known here-wearing a flannel shirt, her own blonde hair loose. Elsa gives her a small smile and Emma walks over, sitting behind her on the lumpy mattress. 

“I wish there could’ve been another way,” Elsa whispers.

Emma makes a noise in agreement. “I don’t know who writes these spells, but they’re dumb.”

“Agreed.”

Emma wraps her arms around Elsa’s torso and the latter leans against her. “So…what happens now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Ingrid is gone. The ice cave is melted. You’ve found Anna…”

Emma doesn’t ask the next question but it hangs above them, heavy like the weight that’s been on Elsa’s chest her whole life.

Arendelle needs their leaders back. Anna and Kristoff deserve a wedding after all this time. The logical answer is that they go back home.

But Elsa also knows what she’s started here. Over the past few weeks, she’s started a romance with Emma. They’ve stolen kisses in between research. Sex over practicing spells. There have been seductive whispers in the dark station.

Elsa’s never been in love in the past. Being locked in her room made sure of that. But being with Emma these past few weeks has shown her that she could love someone in that way. She can have what Kristoff and Anna have. She deserves love. And she finally has it.

“Don’t go,” Emma whispers.

Elsa looks back at her. Emma’s vulnerability is on full display. Her green eyes are wide, lip trembling. Elsa’s never seen her this way. She’s not prickly right now…she’s scared. Elsa opens her mouth to respond, but then Emma’s face hardens.

“I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Emma…”

“No.” Emma pulls away from her. “It wasn’t fair of me to ask. You have a life in Arendelle. It’s your home, with your sister. I can’t ask you to put us above your family or your responsibilities. I wouldn’t want you to ask that of me.”

Emma scoots back on the bed and climbs under the covers. Elsa stays where she is, putting her chin on her hand.

“I want to say yes,” Elsa whispers. “I want to stay here with you.”

“Elsa, stop. It wasn’t fair of me to ask you. We barely know each other.”

“That’s not true. We’ve gotten to know each other a lot over the past few weeks. We have a lot in common, we also have our differences. I know that I haven’t felt this way before.”

The tears well up in her eyes, as she thinks about connecting with Emma and her family. It’s the happiest she’s been in a very long time.

“I just need to think,” Elsa says. “It’s a lot.”

“Like I said, I never should’ve asked.”

“Would you stop saying that?”

Elsa crawls across the bed, so she’s laying across from her.

“I want to be with you, Emma,” she says. “And you deserve to say what you want. We can figure this out.”

Emma is still before nodding. “Okay,” she whispers.

* * *

Elsa loves the beach. It’s where she found Anna and she’ll never forget it. The waves are calming as they crash against the shore. She’s borrowed another set of clothes from Emma, a pair of jeans and a blue flannel shirt, just throwing her hair back into a ponytail rather than bothering with a braid.

She sees Anna has borrowed clothes too, from Snow. She’s in a pink pleated skirt with a white cardigan. It compliments her red hair well. Elsa smiles seeing her sister. She’s missed her so much and she can’t imagine being separated from her for a long period of time again.

“Nice clothes,” Elsa comments when they come to the center of the sand.

“People sure dress strangely in this land.”

“They do, but it’s nice to not get sand on my dress.”

Anna giggles, pushing her braid back. “How was your night with Emma?” She bumps shoulders with her sister.

Elsa squirms a bit. “We didn’t do that,” she says. “We talked about some stuff. How was your night?”

“It was great. David and Kristoff caught up. They made some recipe from when they were boys. Then Regina popped by and we talked about going home.”

Elsa bites her lip. “Oh.”

“Yes, she found a door for us in Rumpelstiltskin’s shop,” Anna shivers naming the man she ran into in the past before regaining composure. “It’s a direct portal to Arendelle, we can go back at any time.”

Elsa turns to look at the waves. Ships pull out of the harbor, seagulls swarm above them in the sky. 

“If there’s a portal to Arendelle…it means people could visit at any time.”

“Yes, Kristoff and David are already planning when to have one.”

But Elsa isn’t thinking about the guys.

If the portal can go back and forth between Arendelle and Storybrooke, she has an easy connection to her family. It doesn’t change that she has responsibilities to attend to, a kingdom that’s waiting for her.

“Anna,” Elsa says. “Do you think Mother and Father ever really wanted me to be Queen?”

“Why would you ask that? Of course they did.”

“They put me in a room for most of my life, locked me away.”

“Mother felt bad about that.”

“Right but did she trust me? Did Father?” Elsa sighs. “Did I even want to be Queen?”

“What are you saying, Elsa?”

“I became Queen because it was expected of me,” Elsa says. “Because I wanted to do “one right thing” for our parents. But I never liked doing it. It never felt like something I was supposed to do.”

Anna frowns. “You’re saying you don’t want to be Queen.”

“I’m saying…I don’t know. I’m saying that I don’t think I’m the ruler Arendelle needs.”

“So, who will be?”

“Well, you’re next in line.”

Anna raises an eyebrow.

“Elsa, are you sure?”

“I just think you are the ruler that Mother and Father pictured,” Elsa says. “You’re responsible, tough, kind and fair. Anna, without you, we wouldn’t know how to defeat Aunt Ingrid.”

A small smile creeps on Anna’s lips. “But you are all of those things too.”

“A strong leader doesn’t always have to be a Queen.” She thinks of all the strong women she has met since she’s arrived in Storybrooke. 

“Are you sure this is what you really want?”

Elsa lets out a deep breath. “Yes, I’m very sure.” She takes hold of her sister’s hand. “We’ll always be sisters. Even if you’re the Queen and I’m not. Even if you’re in Arendelle…and I’m here.”

Anna tilts her head, her big green eyes filling with confusion. Then she slowly nods.

“Emma,” she whispers.

“I may return to Arendelle one day. Who knows? But for now…I need to see what this is.”

Elsa is taken off guard when Anna throws her arms around her. She returns the hug, tightening it.

“You deserve to be happy, Elsa,” Anna whispers. “And I can’t wait to see how this turns out for you.”

* * *

Elsa enters the loft, smiling and waving at Snow and David. She heads up the steps to Emma’s room. Emma is sprawled across her bed with a magazine, flipping through the pages. Elsa clears her throat, causing Emma to look up and smile.

“Hey,” Emma says.

“Hi.”

“Did you have a nice day with Anna?”

“We did. We went to the beach, then got a bite to eat. She and Kristoff are meeting up with Regina. I went to talk with Belle.”

“Belle? About what?”

“I wanted to see if she needed extra help at the library, turns out she does. And she offered me the loft above it as part of my check.”

Emma got off the bed.

“Elsa…you don’t have to…”

“I know I don’t. And for all I know, this may not work out, but if not, I can go back home.” She takes a step forward. “However, if I don’t try, I’ll never know.”

A tear falls down Emma’s face and Elsa cradles her face, softly kissing her. 


End file.
